1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a safety device to reduce occupational hazards in the medical field. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device to prevent needlestick injuries, especially during surgical procedures. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a sheath for a needle.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
A needlestick injury or “needlestick” is a piercing wound from a needle point or other sharp instrument. These injuries are commonly experienced by people handling needles in the medical field. When drawing blood, administering an intramuscular or intravenous drug, or performing other procedures involving sharps, the healthcare worker can be injured with the needle slips. Generally, needlesticks cause only minor bleeding or visible trauma. Scalpel injuries tend to be larger than a needlestick. Needlestick injuries are not limited to the medical community. Any environment where sharps are encountered poses a risk, such as police work.
A needlestick injury is an occupational hazard, especially in the operating room during surgery. These injuries are important to avoid because of the risk of transmitting blood-borne diseases, such as the hepatitis B virus (HBV), the hepatitis C virus (HCV), and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the virus which causes AIDS. Several agencies regulate the standards and controls to reduce these occupational hazards.
There are particular concerns for needlesticks, when using the current safety devices. For example, there are already known caps and sheaths to protect healthcare workers. However, needlesticks continue to occur as a result of not recapping the needle or misjudging alignment of the needle and cap during recapping. Especially during surgery and in the operating room, surgical needles may be left uncapped and exposed for repetitive use in a procedure, increasing the risk of inadvertently penetrating the glove and skin of the surgeon or assistant.
Various patents have issued in the past relating to preventing needlestick injuries. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,171,284, issued to Kao, et al. on Jan. 9, 2001, describes a syringe needle cover structure comprised of a sleeve, a coil spring, and a mount. The sleeve is installed over the syringe needle, and a press release section is situated along the two exterior sides. The coil spring is installed into the center section of the sleeve, and the mount is then attached to the lower section of the said sleeve. The structure is installed over a syringe needle, wherein the user only has to pull down the protective head without removing the syringe needle cover to utilize the syringe. After use, the mount is rotated counter-clockwise to re-cover the syringe needle.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,226,431, issued to Bell-Greenstreet on Jun. 5, 2007, discloses single-use enhancements to disposable syringes. The syringe has a stem and plunger with a disk called a “spider” held near the lower end of the stem. The plunger furthermore comprises a stem extension in the shape of a short cylinder, affixed to the lower face of the spider. Finally the plunger comprises a handle affixed to the upper end of the stem. In addition, the syringe comprises a lower seal and upper seal both of cylindrical annular shape made of rubbery material. In operation, the lower seal, the plunger and the upper seal are located at the bottom of the barrel. As the syringe reaches its final state, it becomes unusable for any subsequent use because the lower seal cannot be drawn upward and the upper seal is abandoned and remains at the top of the barrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,002, issued to Pavlo on Aug. 31, 2004, teaches another anti-needlestick system. The needle has flexible wings, and a shield assembly is formed as a generally planar sheet with long side edges and short end edges and a slot for receiving the wings, when held together and adapted to be placed beneath the wings above a patient's skin. There is a male section of the shield assembly on one side of the slot, and there is a female section on the other side of the slot. Each section has an upwardly facing side wall along the side and end edges of the planar sheet. A locking member formed in the side wall includes a male locking member and a co acting female receptacle.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,513,888, issued to Sircom, et al. on Apr. 7, 2009, discloses more needle guards. Each needle guard includes a canting plate locked on the needle shaft, during retraction of the needle tip within the guard and extension of the needle tip from the guard. The plate rotates into locking engagement with the shaft of the needle, when withdrawing the need from the guard. The plate protects healthcare workers from needlesticks.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,300,421, issued to Lowry, et al. on Nov. 27, 2007, describes another safety syringe with an adapter. The invention includes adapter for a standard syringe, vacuum tube or other medical device, so that the syringe can engage a protective sheath. The sheath can be deployed automatically upon activation of a release member with a single hand in order to propel the protective sheath from a retracted position to an extended position covering a needle. An elastic member can also propel the protective sheath from a retracted to an extended position.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,159,713, issued to Austria on Jan. 9, 2007, describes a sharp blade protection device, which is related to blades and other sharps. The user inserts and removes the sharp from the device so that training of use is minimized if needed at all. The device is usable with a single hand. There is a retention post for the sharp. This device is designed to be reusable and cleanable but is capable of inexpensive manufacturing as a disposable device.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,846,302, issued to Shemesh, et al. on Jan. 25, 2005, discloses another needle protector device, comprising a protector tube slidingly disposed in an outer tube and slidingly disposed over a syringe comprising a needle. The protector tube has at least one abutment initially in engagement with the outer tube such that the protector tube is constrained from moving distally with respect to the syringe. A guide inside the outer tube provides an urging force on the protector tube in a direction that tends to urge the protector tube distally towards a tip of the needle. A release mechanism moves the abutment out of engagement with the outer tube upon distal pushing of a plunger of the syringe, such that when the at least one abutment is out of engagement with the outer tube, the guide directs the protector tube distally towards the tip of the needle.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a device to protect against needlestick injuries.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a protection device, which sheaths the needle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a protection device which retracts the needle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a protection device for operation by a single hand.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a protection device with single use and disposable options.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device to allow reuse of solutions, anesthetics, and other chemicals.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a protection device compatible with existing syringe and needle products.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an easy and effective way to prevent being stuck by uncovered needles.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.